Microphone problem - kindly help me

[fixyjohn]

hai guys


i bought a microphone (brand : shure) and recorded some tracks with my DAW. i conected the mic directly to the mic input of my computer. the out put sound is very much reduced. i turned the volume of my speakers (multimedia speakers) to full but the out put audio is not effective, forceful and is very much low.


(previously i recorded with a small chat mic in which the out put audio was good but it pickups surrounding sounds and the out put audio is full of hisss sound.)

kindly tell me what i have to do to have the full input and good output of my new shure mic. wheather i have to get a amplifier? is it possible to connect the amplifier to pc?

kindly advice

 

[Massive Master]

That's a line-level input on your computer... You can't drive a line-level input with a mic-level signal.

 

[Jim Lad]

Dynamic mics require a lot of gain.
It just depends on the mic and the PC as to whether it will work for you.
You know, I bought a USB mic for $30. Came with a cable and desk stand. The stand alone would cost me $24. I use it for Skype.
Why not look around for one of those?
This is the model I got although it's priced higher online.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EZMYRS

 

[dastrick]

Either use a preamp like this

or get a USB Mic Interface like this.

I haven't used the USB interface so I can't tell you how well it works, but these are probably your cheapest solutions.

 

[fixyjohn]

mic

thanks jim, das and massive

thankyou very much for your valuable advices.

i got a mail from my friend insisting me to buy a small mixing board.
at my place (chennai india) with in my budjet a small mixing board is available. kindly tell me will the mixing board will solve the problem?
or the preamp is the best solution?

am i right with this ? kindly tell me

if mixing board means then mic to mixing board then mixing board to pc line in socket.
if the preamp means mic to preamp then preamp to pc line in socket

the people at the equipment shop advices me to buy a amplifier? what is the difference between preamp and amplifier?

kindly help me

 

[Massive Master]

They're probably talking about a preamp. Any typical mixer will have mic preamps (varying in number and quality, of course) built-in.

 

[dastrick]

Is your shure microphone the one with the 1/4" cable attached? Or do you use and adaptor that goes from XLR (3 prongs) to 1/4"?

 

[Jim Lad]

A mixing board will give you a stereo line in but in all honesty it's the wrong tool for the lob.
What you really need is an audio interface.
Here's one I don't normally recommend but it may be just the ticket for you as long as it's only for yourself.
http://www.americanmusical.com/Item...0HAMS0000&utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=feed&
The price is reduced for "Scratch & Dent".

 

[fixyjohn]

mic

Is your shure microphone the one with the 1/4" cable attached? Or do you use and adaptor that goes from XLR (3 prongs) to 1/4"?

my mic has at the bottom a 3 pin point and the cord has 3 pin female. adoptor means i do not have any adoptor to connect the mic

 

[fixyjohn]

A mixing board will give you a stereo line in but in all honesty it's the wrong tool for the lob.
What you really need is an audio interface.
Here's one I don't normally recommend but it may be just the ticket for you as long as it's only for yourself.
http://www.americanmusical.com/Item...0HAMS0000&utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=feed&
The price is reduced for "Scratch & Dent".

so with a inter face i can do the work .
so i have to connect mic to interface and then interface to the pc line in socket. ..........am i right?

kindly advice

 

[gecko zzed]

so with a inter face i can do the work .
so i have to connect mic to interface and then interface to the pc line in socket. ..........am i right?

kindly advice

You connect mike directly to the interface. The interface connects to the computer with a USB cable.

The interface converst the analog signal from the mike to a digital signal which it sends along the USB cable.

Your recording application will recognise this input, thugh you may have to adjust some settings.

 

[dastrick]

my mic has at the bottom a 3 pin point and the cord has 3 pin female. adoptor means i do not have any adoptor to connect the mic

So how have you been connecting your mic to the computer?

 

[Jim Lad]

Time for Tweakheadz, FJ.

http://www.tweakheadz.com/guide.htm

Gecko Zedd has a site that he likes to recommend too.

 

[fixyjohn]

mic

thanks guys


the mixing board at my place (chennai , india) is BX 8 P Proton 8 channel mixer and Yamaha mixer 82CX

other advanced and costlier mixers are available also but for my budjet the above said two only...........



(the sound cord costs abour 9500 indian bucks, interface about 35000 indian bucks, and mixing borad about...... proton 8000 indian bucks and yamaha 12500 indian bucks.)





kindly advice me shall i go agead with the mixing board.. or anything else please suggest me
(if the interface is the correct remedy then i have to )


awaiting

 

[fixyjohn]

mic

So how have you been connecting your mic to the computer?

the mic bottom has three pins male socked the cord (one end ) has three pin female socket and the other end ot the cord has a pin to plug it directly to the pc line in socket

 

[dastrick]

the mic bottom has three pins male socked the cord (one end ) has three pin female socket and the other end ot the cord has a pin to plug it directly to the pc line in socket

Ok. Gotcha.

 

[Jim Lad]

You need an interface.
Anything else is really cutting corners.
Sorry!
I'll recommend the M-Audio Fast Track Pro because I've used it and it works.
Good luck with it.

 

[fixyjohn]

mic

You need an interface.
Anything else is really cutting corners.
Sorry!
I'll recommend the M-Audio Fast Track Pro because I've used it and it works.
Good luck with it.

thanks jim

if i am not killing your valuable time, could it possible to tell me what problem the mixing board will creat? the hiss sound will be controlled or not?

(since the interface little bit costlier to my capacity(35000 indian bucks) i have to arrange loans , that is why i am asking, pls bear me)

awaiting

 

[Jim Lad]

It's all about using the right tool for the job.
About two years ago I was where you are right now.
Not in India mind you.
I could have gone with all sorts of advice but someone took the time to explain it properly.
An Audio Interface was designed to take the signal from your microphone, convert it to a digital signal and send it into a computer.
A mixer will send an analog, stereo signal into your computer which will now have to do the converting as well as everything else. You can do it that way but you are stuck with whichever mix you have recorded and the sound quality will not be as good. Actually, you would get better results recording into a mini disc recorder that way.
You really need an audio interface to do it right.
Have a look through that Tweakheadz link.
It's a good site. A bit stupid here and there but full of valuable information.
Look for used equipment if you have to but be sure to study them on the Internet before you make a purchase. Read the reviews on each one and don't spend more than you have to.
Most of all.... Have fun with it.

 

[dastrick]

I agree that an interface would be you better option, but using a mixer and your soundcard would also work.

Here's how:

Send the "stereo out" from your mixer to the "stereo in" on your soundcard (assuming your soundcard has a stereo input).
Pan channel 1 on your mixer all the way to the left. Pan channel 2 on your mixer all the way right.
Create a stereo track in your DAW (recording program). Or create two mono tracks-one with input 1 (left from your mixer) & one with input 2 (right from your mixer)
Now you have two seperate mono tracks recorded.
You can playback the tracks that you've recorded and repeat the process to record more tracks.

Like I said before...an interface would do a better, more efficient job but it can be done with a mixer...it's just a little more involved.

And like Jim Lad said...HAVE FUN WITH IT.